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B-29 Superfortress engines started for first time since 1956

By Associated Press - | Sep 20, 2015

? A 15-year effort to restore and fly a B-29 Superfortress got a boost when all four of its engines started for the first time since 1956.

Volunteers on Friday successfully started the World War II bomber’s engines, pushing the group closer to the next milestone of getting the plane called “Doc” up in the air.

The Wichita Eagle reports one of the engines didn’t immediately fire up, but after 20 minutes of coaxing and adjustments Engine No. 2 was humming away to the vast relief of Doc’s Friends.

The plane was recovered from a bombing range on California’s Mojave desert in 1987 and brought to Wichita in 2000. A group of business leaders and aviation enthusiasts bought the plane in 2013 and immediately started restoring it.